The Silence of a Somber Day

Lightning Before The Thunder

Do you want to be a hero?

He was asked that question in an indirect way. The villager had been smiling at Foolish while they packed up the items Foolish had for sale that they bought. The man looked at Foolish before shaking his head. "With your gifts, you could be in the military... or a hero, like those people in the newspaper."

Foolish merely smiled at the man, assuming him to be a little mentally unstable. Foolish was merely a traveling merchant who dabbled in cartography when he ventured on paths less taken. While his atmokinesis was handy, Foolish couldn't see any practical uses for it in battle. He wouldn't let himself dwell on the subject for that long to consider becoming a hero.

Do you want to become a hero?

It was after the village burned down, the people insane as they tried to blame each other for something Foolish didn't even know. They had approached Foolish, and tied him to the stake. They set fire to the oiled wood beneath his feet. In an attempt to break free, storm clouds formed above the town. Lightning struck the ground with an almost immediate boom as rain pelted all the villagers down. The buildings caught fire, far too wild for the rain alone. Foolish was able to break free, running out of the village before anyone could catch him again.

A woman approached Foolish with a heartbreaking smile. She leaned down, her fingers brushing off the ash that clung to his cheek. She looked him straight in the eyes as she whispered the question. Somehow, this woman knew what Foolish had done, what he had summoned, and resolved to recruit him. Foolish decided that he needed to shed some bad karma by doing some good.

Two months after Foolish had become a hero, the man in charge himself requested Foolish's audience. Foolish was nervous the entire time, but XD eventually gave Foolish a promotion as the new sidekick for Dream. Foolish had been excited to work with the Dream from the Muffinteers. He thought it would be a good opportunity to meet someone who could help him get the good karma he originally sought.

Do you still want to be a hero?

No one warned Foolish. No one told him how standoffish and cold Dream would be to him. No one informed Foolish about George's condition. No one mentioned that SapNap was an extreme hothead who whenever he was with Foolish, would try to set everything around them on fire. No one thought Foolish should know the somewhat terrifying states Bad sometimes wandered into without locking the door.

Worst of all, Foolish was never told about the previous sidekick, Tempest. While patrolling with Dream, he heard an offhand comment about the brat Dream used to be with by one of the thieves they caught. Foolish did investigating to find out about the hero whose situation was being heavily covered up. Foolish didn't get real answers until he met a man named Scott and the hero Royal with his sidekick Kitsune. They gave Foolish the facts that they knew. The solid information they had gathered and observed.

Foolish got the best picture of the personality of Tempest when a new intern called Tubbo stopped him in his tracks. Tubbo claimed that he had been something like a friend to Tempest, and told Foolish of the great person Tempest genuinely was underneath his off putting, aggressive nature.

How can you still be a hero?

It was lonely. Sitting by the window every night, watching the city below him filled with people satisfied with their lives and some that felt like him. He downed another glass of whiskey as he imagined where Tempest was that very night.